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Optical properties of highly oriented nanostructured CuI (111) thin films

P. V. C. LUHANGA1,* , C. MUIVA2, S. H. COETZEE3,4, K. MAABONG1, L. TIEDT5, P. MONOWE1

Affiliation

  1. Department of Physics, University of Botswana, Private Bag 0022, Gaborone, Botswana
  2. Department of Physics, Botswana International University of Science and Technology, Private Bag 16, Palapye, Botswana
  3. Botswana Institute for Technology, Research and Innovation (BITRI), Private Bag 0082, Gaborone, Botswana
  4. African Materials Science and Engineering Network (AMSEN)
  5. Laboratory for Electron Microscopy, North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom, 2520 South Africa

Abstract

Transparent nanostructured copper(I) iodide (CuI) thin films of varying thicknesses were deposited by thermal evaporation of pre-melt quenched CuI powders and their structural and optical properties are reported. X-ray diffraction characterization identifies γ-CuI and suggests that the films are monocrystalline in nature showing high crystallographic orientation along CuI (111). SEM studies reveal spherical granules growing in size with increasing film thickness. Thinner films were characterised by high dislocation densities. Optical studies revealed a red shift in the absorption edge and decreased optical band gap energies with film thickness..

Keywords

CuI, Nanostructures, Thin films, Evaporation, Optical properties.

Submitted at: Aug. 7, 2015
Accepted at: Sept. 29, 2016

Citation

P. V. C. LUHANGA, C. MUIVA, S. H. COETZEE, K. MAABONG, L. TIEDT, P. MONOWE, Optical properties of highly oriented nanostructured CuI (111) thin films, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 18, Iss. 9-10, pp. 837-841 (2016)